Graham Potter delivered some positive injury news yesterday on Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly, which should be music to the ears of Marc Cucurella.
It’s been confirmed by Chelsea boss Potter that Koulibaly is available again after his recent injury problem and is back in the squad for Wednesday night’s Champions League contest against Dinamo Zagreb.
The absence of the 31-year-old defender has been felt in the last three matches.
He’s a powerhouse centre-back that’s still trying to find his feet during his debut season with the Blues, but his recent absence left Potter with limited options in defence.
Koulibaly injury news
Aside from Koulibaly himself, the biggest winner from the injury boost has to be Chelsea’s Cucurella.
Cucurella, who joined in the summer from Brighton, has had a really sticky opening few months as a Chelsea player.
The 24-year-old isn’t quite yet looking like the Rolls-Royce he was at Brighton last year, so big question marks are being posed around his £60million price tag.
It’s obvious right now he’s finding it a lot more difficult in a centre-back position compared to the full-back/wing-back role.
The Spanish left-footer has the versatility to play different defensive roles in Potter’s system, but Koulibaly’s recent injury, along with Wesley Fofana’s absence, has forced him into a centre-back position in a back three recently.
Hopefully, Koulibaly returning to the XI can help solve the centre-back area and allow Cucurella to fight it out with Ben Chilwell for a wing-back spot.
Don’t give up yet
Cucurella can definitely grow into his Chelsea career if he plays more football out wide.
He’s looking unsettled in one-on-one defensive situations when shoehorned into a back three, but everyone will see a lot more of his strengths at wing-back.
The energetic Spaniard can definitely add something extra to the Blues XI with his progressive passing and attacking intent.
The discussions around his valuation isn’t going to go away, something he’ll have to deal with during the tough time.
However, let’s hope he gets a couple of games in his favoured role to try build some confidence.
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